Couple of Guys

We’re excited that Couple of Guys  was chosen as one of the 79 out of 1,000 films to screen at the prestigious Blackbird Film Festival from April 28 – 30, 2023.  Thankful to have been nominated for Best Director and to have won for Best NYS Filmmaker for the Couple of Guys pilot!! Couple of Guys also won Best Pilot at the First Frame International Film Festival in May 2023.

Couple of Guys won “Best LGBTQIA+ Series” at the Love Wins International Film Festival AND “Directors Choice – Best Series” for the 10th Annual Austin Revolution Film Festival!! -2022

Synopsis

A newly divorced attorney comes out and is ready to live it up with a flirtatious rocker who is ready to settle down, and together, they try for a second chance at love. In this later-in-life romantic story, a quiet workaholic, attorney Richard Durant (Sal Rendino) comes out in his fifties and falls in love with heartthrob and former rocker, Jon Graham (Lukas Hassel). They navigate the reality that Richard is ready to start living fully after having raised his children, and Jon is finally ready to settle down and have a family. The story revolves around each man as he steps outside of his comfort zone and interconnects with Richard’s ex-wife, his children, Jon’s groupies and situations that swell within each of their respective professions. Couple of Guys is a half-hour comedy/drama about living authentically, second chances, and falling in love.

We have the first four episodes of Couple of Guys completed, and the remaining two episodes are written and ready to go as funding comes in.  We could use your help to film those episodes. We’d love to do this with you! Be responsible for the content you get to see! 

The Couple of Guys pilot screened at the prestigious ImageOut Film Festival in Rochester NY, and we received following review from the Festival Director:

“The pilot episode of COUPLE OF GUYS is a breath of fresh air for the LGBTQ+ romantic and coming out genres because the narrative shifts from the usual younger protagonists to men that most gay men can relate to – a little more mature, more established but not necessarily more experienced. The lack of representation for older gay men onscreen and in the film festival circuit makes the promise of a whole series about them an exciting proposition. Our ImageOut audience here in Rochester loved the story of Jon and Richard and we cannot wait to see how their story plays out. Bring it on!”

Michael Gamilla
Programming Director
ImageOut: Rochester LGBT Film Festival
***Here we are folks.  With Episodes 1 – 3 completed, we start anew on episode Number 4. This means new locations, new characters, new producers (depending on participation level) and new perks!! As we search for grants and producers, please help us continue filming, because we ARE going to do this!! Motivated by the response we got at our World Premiere at the Queens World Film Festival and then from ImageOut, we know this is a story that people will love. Hop aboard, we’d love to have you join us. Please check out the perks below.  Thank you. We love you <3

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Help us get this project made! Click Here!

Meet the Team

Debra Markowitz

Our Writer, Director and Producer

Debra created the Nassau County Film Commission and ran it through four administrations, she also was a founder and programmer for LIIFE, the Long Island International Film Expo, for the past 25 years. She is an award-winning writer and director and producer.

John Marean

John, co-manager of Intention Films and Media, graduated with his MFA in Technical Design and Production from the Yale School of Drama. He retired as the Technical Director at the LaGuardia High School (The “Fame” school) of Music & Art and Performing Arts in NYC but remains an adjunct professor at City Technical College and a Resident Artist at the LIHSA. He is also a DP, AC, Grip, Gaffer, Sound recordist, AD and Covid Compliance Officer.

Lukas Hassel

Born and raised in Denmark, Lukas is an accomplished actor and writer, having studied at The Samuel Beckett Theatre School, Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Lukas can be seen in ​Law and Order: CSIBlue Bloods, the Sundance award winning short Man About Town and the multi-award winning short Into the Dark. He played the recurring character of Elias Van Dyke during Season 8 (with a Season 9 recap) on The Blacklist. ​He lives with his awesome husband in Chelsea, Manhattan.

Trish Apello

Co-Producer (Eps 1 – 3)

Trish Appello, a Long Island/Florida actress and cofounder of Arden & Co. Productions with her husband, Pete, are happy to be on board team Couple of Guys. Trish first heard about Couple of Guys while volunteering at the Nassau County Film Office. She knew it was a story they would want to be involved with as supporting the LGBTQIA community is extremely important to both she and Pete.

Diane Yatauro

Co-Producer (Eps 1 – 3)

Diane is a former Nassau County Legislator, co-owner of CASS Business Telephones, and manages the career of actress/musician Noelle Diane. Diane has been involved with Intention Films and Media since the very first movie.

Marc Riou

Co-Producer

Marc, a partner in The Majors Productions is a multi-talented cinematographer who has shot many of the films in the Intention Films and Media catalog. Marc is also the Director of Photography and Editor on this project. View Marc’s Reel here.

Mara Bush

Co-Producer

Mara is a Brooklyn based filmmaker working in roles such as producer, director, and assistant director. She is also the founder of BeeReel Pictures and a Producer at ABC News.